The Magic In Me
by JunglSox
Summary: 'Don't you see? You're a witch' says Luna, 'Oh, don't look upset - it's not a bad thng. You're just like me and there are loads of us...' Victoria was just a normal girl with a boring life until she was invited to Hogwarts School where she uncovered the confusuions of her past and her whole world was turned upside down. Rated T because I'm paranoid :P Hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! This is a story I finsihed a whle ago but decided to re-write in a different style. I hope it goes down well... I know this is only a very short chapter but I'd really appreciate any feedback from anyone. I'll probably update often but not on a regular day so just keep an eye out. Thanks so much and sorry if I miss out any letter 'i's in my writing - my keyboard is dodgy. I hope you enjoy my story x  
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**Sunday 19th July 1992**

_I went to the post office today. I go in there a lot to buy postcards or Fudge bars or magazines unlike my brother who's always playing with his friends in the park or on the beach. He makes friends easily, my brother. I'm not shy or cowardly, really, I'm not; I'm just not good with strangers so I keep to myself. I've never had any close friends. I've been invited to birthday parties and sleepovers and all the girls are nice to me but I've never had any _best_ friends. I've spent many play and lunch times sitting alone, reading. I love to read and I love to write and that's why when I saw you, pretty little book I just couldn't wait to take you to my favourite oak tree in Water's Edge and write anything and everything I could think of._

_It was very sunny this afternoon. I'd been here by the oak tree writing in you since lunchtime and still I sit. Before I started I just admired your stitched covering. I love the butterflies. They're all over your front and a couple on your back. You are lilac and small (A5 to be precise) and have French writing in a swirly and almost illegible scrawl. I decided to try to decipher it later; then was for writing. I stroked your cover one last time ('hand-made, wee lass, of cotton finely spun!') before opening you up to reveal thick, lined paper. I unclicked my favourite pen and began to write: Property of Victoria Jackson and circled it with a heart._

'Perfect." I whisper.

'What's perfect?' asked a boy. I look up to see my brother looking back at me.

'Oh, nothing.' I reply.

'Tori? Do you have any money? I fancy an ice-cream and well-'

'-you spent your pocket money already?' I suggest and he replies with a nod and a grin. 'Whatever.' I hand him some cash and tell him to get me one while he's there. 'Don't bother me again! I'm busy.' I call after him as he runs back to join his friends.

Only fifteen minutes pass when I realise that Mum wanted us home in ten minutes. We're going to be late.

When I arrive back at my Great Aunt's house (seven minutes later than planned) dinner is ready and Great Aunt Eileen and Mum want to know what we've been up to. Zac explains his whole day: all the games he's played, all the little girls he's frightened, all the kids he's played football with etc... Aunt Eileen comments and laughs at all the appropriate moments while my mum listens half-heartedly and continues her work in silence. One of the reasons we come to Devon is so me and my brother can enjoy the parks and beaches and my Uncle's farm while she works. It's a friendly coast-line neighbourhood so we're perfectly safe and everything is close by so she doesn't drive us anywhere like she does home in London and there's Aunt Eileen to cook and clean which is a nice change for Mum. Mum works from home but she works a lot. She's always there at the school gates, smiling as we tell her all about our day in the car on the way home but there are times when she has so much work that even in the holidays her mind is somewhere else. Somewhere with computers and graphics and confusing stuff I don't understand.

'What about you, Tori?' I snap back to reality at the mention of my name. 'What did you do today?'

'Oh, well...' I begin sheepishly. Embarrassing, it is, that my eight-year-old brother's daily social life is by far more exciting than mine. 'Y'know, I just hung out really. By myself.'

'Darlin', don't you have any friends to play with?' my aunt asks in a thick Devonshire accent. Zac sniggers and I shoot him an envious look.

'I like being alone!' I huff, 'and I'd quite like to be alone at the moment too.' I pick my little book off of the table and run quickly up to the room I'm sharing with my Mum. Locking the door behind me I dive onto the king-sized bed and lie on the soft, baby blue duvet cover. After a few wasted minutes of staring at the ceiling I open my book and continue my writing.

_Why am I so terrible at making friends? I'm a nice person, aren't I? Or maybe I'm not. Socially Awkward, that's what I am._

_Dinner today was a disaster but it is true. I don't have any friends._

I promise myself that tomorrow I will find a real friend...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Latest update to my story. Comment, favourite and follow! Thanks x**

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**Monday 20th July 1992**

I'm up earlier than everyone but my Uncle which is unusual because I'm normally the last to rise. I look at the little old-fashioned clock on the bedside table and see that it's twenty to six. Making the least amount of noise possible I creep out of bed, pull on my jumper and tip-toe down the softly carpeted stairs that lead straight down to the kitchen. I really love this house. It's a large farmhouse with six bedrooms. The oak front door leads into the hall which goes off to the living room the dining room though we never use it. Everyone uses the side door into the kitchen. There are stairs leading to the kitchen too. I prefer them to the main stairs. The kitchen is large but cosy. It has a table, a worktop, an oven and an old agar. Five doors lead from the kitchen: one outside, one to the hallway, one to the stairs, one to the muck house and one to the pantry where I go to get some cereal.

As I sit, eating, someone comes in through the muck house.

"Mornin' Tori, you're up early!" exclaims Uncle Ray, "You coming out today?"

Normally if I'm up early I help out on the farm in the morning but today I decide not to. "No thanks I've got plans."

He looks like he's about to laugh. I never have plans. "Oh, you're a kid so I suppose you always got plans a goin' on..." He doesn't believe me

I eat my breakfast really slowly then take what seems like forever to shower and dress in red shorts, a shirt and converse with my bottle-green jumper tied around my waist, my hair in a long plait and my dolphin charm bracelet on my wrist but when I'm done its only seven. I pack my canvas backpack with a bottle of water, apple, my book and pencil case. I scribble a brief note to my Mum before running from the house down the lane and don't stop until my knee begins to throb.

My knee always throbs. When I was seven years old I fell off of my bike and bashed my knee. I fell again when I was eight and my Mum just left it. The hospital said it was fine so my mum agreed but she couldn't feel the pain could she? On Christmas Eve

1990 I had an operation to sew the cartilage that was torn but sadly it was unfixable and I remain partly disabled. Damn you, knee.

I sit on a little bench to rest my knee and drink some water. After a while I look at my watch: ten to eight. I can imagine my mum reading the note and my brother exaggerating how I ran from the house.

I try to get my bearings but am quite lost. London is much easier to get around than the country side.

I walk down a long, grassy lane. The morning sun is shining and the dewy leaves give off a sweet summery smell as I skip carelessly on my way, not caring where I end up or if I find my way back. Soon I come to a gate with a stile and choose to climb over hoping I won't be seen by the field owner. I leap around and breathe the fresh air before sitting by a little brook and writing in my lilac book.

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I ran away today. Not forever, I'll go home later but for now I want to be away from my family. I woke up early and took off in hope of finding a friend which I will do but first I sit and watch the sky. The clouds and the birds and the planes and everything else. It's beautiful out here.

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"Hello" says a dreamy voice.

I look up to see a small girl with long white-blonde hair, wearing a yellow pinafore-dress accessorised with radish earrings and a cork necklace.

"Umm, who are you?" I ask shyly.

"I'm Luna. Luna Lovegood. What's your name?" says the girl called) Luna. She seems friendly.

"V-Victoria." I stammer. "Victoria Jackson. What interesting, err, jewellery...?"

"Oh thank you!" she beams then adds in a whisper, "they keep away the nargles."

"Nargles?" I ask, confused.

"Yes, nargles. Not many people know about them. They're tiny creatures that are very mischievous and like to steal your possessions. Be careful of the Wrackspurts too! They're invisible creatures that go inside your head and make your brain go fuzzy!"

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Her brain seemed to be fuzzy enough without these 'wrackspurt' thingies but I liked her so I let her sit with me and we talked for ages about absolutely everything. Even some completely wacky things about Luna's weird creatures.

Luna took me to her garden and we looked for nargles and wrackspurts. She has some really funny glasses that help you see them. She said only 'people like us' can see them but I don't know what that's supposed to mean.

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I finish my daisy chain and glance at my watch to see it's almost four. I've been out for almost nine whole hours!

'I need to go' I sigh.

'No' Luna protests, 'you can't leave!'

'I have too, Luna.' I tie my daisy chain around her wrist and she puts hers around mine. 'I promise I'll be back tomorrow.'

I get up and walk back towards the stile. I turn to wave at Luna but she's busy dancing and waving her arms in a fairy-like way. I smile to myself as I climb over the stile and try to find my way home.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry, sorry it's even shorter this time :( The Christmas holidays are coming up in just over a week and I PROMISE to update a few more longer chapters. I thought the story was going a little obviously so I've twisted the plot a little - hope you like it!**

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_"And where have you been?" my mother asked courtly as I strode into the kitchen._

_"Oh just out," I paused for a second, "with my friend."_

_I looked at my mum straight in the eye. She didn't believe me. I was her sad, friendless daughter and she didn't believe me._

_"Your friend." she said eventually, "okay." and she walked away. I skipped up the stairs to my room and plunked down onto my bed holding on to every wonderful second I'd just spent with my new friend._

_Friend._

_God, I love that word._

_Luna and Victoria_

_Best Friends Forever_

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Lying on my bed, I can't help but be curious about what Luna had said. 'People like us' she said. What does that mean? Is she trying to imply that I'm as loony as her? My brother would agree I am and maybe Mum too but am I really going mad? Maybe this is like that book I read 'Butterfly Summer' where the girl hallucinates having a friend who is really her dead older sister. As if! I know I have a secretive past but that could never happen.

I go downstairs to the dining room to work on my piano playing. I miss my lessons but Mum won't let me take them ever since that weird thing happened. She thinks I forgot, that I bought the lie she fed Ms Wilson. I know I played without touching the keys. It wasn't a trick of the light or whatever rubbish she said. I know it's impossible but it happened.

I play all the songs I can remember and a new one I find in a book in the stool. I've almost mastered it when my mum calls me for dinner.

As usual we all listen to Zac as he tells us about his day while eating dinner. Lamb for everyone else and pasta for me. 'It won't last!' my mum had said when I decided to become a pescetarian. It's lasted seven months.

After Zac's lecture on what he's done today, the usual question if what I've done is asked. They expect nothing much but unlike usual they don't get that.

"I went to my friend Luna's house. We sat in the grass and played games and made daisy chains - that kind of stuff..." I shrug carelessly and continue to pick at my food.

"Ok" says Mum, "Have I met Luna before she sounds familiar. What's her surname?"

"Lovegood" I tell her.

"L-lovegood?"

She's acting strange. It's just a name. A very uncommon one too. "Yes. Luna Lovegood. She lives in a funny round house with her Dad about an hour's walk from here." She still looks lost, "what?"

"I don't want you seeing that girl anymore." she says firmly.

"Excuse me? You don't want me to be friends with her?" I say, shocked.

"That's right," she says slightly shakily, "I forbid you."

"Jane, don't you think that's a little harsh?" says Aunt Eileen. "Tori's made a friend! You can't forbid them to see each other! It's outrageous! There's nothing wrong with the child."

"You have no idea! You don't know anything!" My mum says to us both.

"That's so not fair! You let Zac have friends!" I protest.

"No! Stop it! I am your mother and I have the final word!"

"That really is unfair." says Zac.

"Thank you Zac!" I say.

"No! You will listen to me. Never and I mean never meet that girl again!"

"Mum! What is wrong with you? You're always going on about me having friends and-"

"Yes but not friends like-"

"Oh, shut up!" I shout, "I've never had any real friends and finally when I find one person - one person! - who finds me interesting and fun to be with you forbid me from seeing her. That's just cruel! It's sick! It's so-"

"I don't care what you think! Now sit down and eat your dinner!"

I pick up my pasta in two hands and hurl it at the wall, yelling for effect. "Can't eat it now, can I?"

"That was extremely inappropriate!" says Mum.

"No!" I shout, "You're being inappropriate! You can't do this!"

"Don't you dare tell me what I can and cannot do. I am your mother!" her voice cracks slightly as she finishes her sentence. She looks almost at breaking-point.

"Yeah?" I scream, "WELL I WISH YOU WERE'NT! I HATE YOU! MORE THAN ANYTHING!" My plate shatters to pieces on the table in front of me. So do all the other plates and the glasses too. An impulse of either fear or daring makes me get up and run from the room all the way upstairs and into my room. Throwing myself onto the bed I scream and cry into my pillow.

Maybe I _am_ going mad?

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**Hope you liked it. I'll update soon...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! I tried to get this updated ASAP and it's longer than the others so I hope you like for following and favouriting!**

**Any feedback would be much appreciated...**

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**_Tuesday 21st July 1992_**

_It was ten past five, earlier than yesterday morning, when I woke up. I crawled out of my make-shift bed in my brother's room and tiptoed downstairs. I ate some breakfast then went back upstairs to brush my hair and teeth and have a shower. I decided to wear the same clothes as yesterday - I really didn't fancy going into my mum's room - and left the house with my same canvas backpack packed with water, my book, five pounds, my hairbrush and a packed lunch. I left the house at twenty to six. It was light but slightly chilly so I pulled my jumper on and tried to navigate my way back to Luna's._

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It's ten to seven and I'm sitting in Luna's garden making a daisy chain. Luna's probably in bed sleeping or eating breakfast.

I manage two bracelets, a necklace and a crown by the time Luna shows. It's dead on eight when she emerges from a nearby field.

"Thought I heard somebody!" she says brightly and sits down next to me on the grass.

I give her bracelet and drape the necklace around her neck. "Where were you so early?"

"Just getting a first look at the Gurdyroots. They're getting along quite nicely. Should be ready for Christmas although it's a shame they won't be ready for Skye's birthday..." Luna continues mumbling to herself while I just lie in the sun. I close my eyes and smile. This is nice.

"Victoria?" says Luna. I sit up and she reaches for my plait. She removes the hairband and undoes my plait letting my frizzy brown hair hang lose. I never wear my hair lose. It's frizzy and annoying not soft and silky like a girl's hair should be.

"What are you-?" Luna just shakes her head. She takes my hairbrush out of my bag and begins to gently brush, easing the tangles. Slowly my hair becomes less frizzy and she puts the daisy-chain crown on my head. "Now you look pretty." she studies me for a few seconds, "were you wearing that outfit yesterday?"

I look down remembering. "Oh, err, yeah."

"How come?"

"Well," I shrug, "I didn't want to get new clothes because I didn't want to go into my mum's room." Luna looks confused so I go into an explanation of last night's events.

"Wow..." she raises her eyebrows making me laugh. "Your surname is Jackson?"

"Ye- no. Smallwood. Victoria Smallwood." I mumble.

"You told me Jackson yesterday." she protests.

"My Dad's surname is Jackson. My mum had mine and my brothers names changed when he left six years ago. I prefer Jackson."

Luna smiles. So broadly I can't help smiling back. And then she's giggling and I'm giggling then were both rolling around on the floor laughing. There's something about her. She's crazier than me, I know but there's something else. She's so happy and practically radiates happiness.

"Forget about your mum! Let's go on an adventure!" she drags me up and we run off into the fields and forest to continue nargle hunting.

When I'm with Luna, looking for creatures or just lying in the sun I feel so alive and so happy. She makes me forget about my mum and how ridiculously annoying she can be and helps me see the "brighter side of life" I guess you could call it.

"Victoria?" says Luna as we sit up in the topmost branch of a tree we climbed surprisingly easily.

"Yeah?"

"It's my cousin Skye's birthday on Friday and we're having a party. I asked Dad and he said that you're definitely like us so you can come if you like!" she says happily.

'Just like them'? What does that mean? I'm too excited to question anyhow. "I'd love to! What time?"

"Yay!" Luna exclaims. "The party starts at one but you can come whenever you like. It's informal so dress how you like. I'd advise clean clothes though..." she says giggling and I playfully hit her with a twig.

"I wish summer would last forever..." I say.

"We still have over five weeks left - it's only the first week of the holidays. I'd quite like it to hurry along though."

"Really?!" I ask shocked, "who wants to go to boring old school?"

"But school is the best thing so I've herd. I've never been of course..."

"Never been to school?! Lucky!"

Luna shakes her head. "I was home schooled. Surprised you weren't most of us are. School is the best!"

"You'll eat your own words in a couple of months time I bet!" I laugh.

"'Course I won't. It'll be great, plus, I've already got a ready-made friend." she explains.

"Who?" I ask.

"You, silly!"

"Luna," I sigh, "I live in London. I'm going to Graven Academy so there's no way you'll go there!"

"Graven Academy?" she asks slightly scared.

I nod slowly.

"I-I thought- I swore you were- But you! You're like me! You can't go there!" she says outraged.

"Luna what do you mean I'm 'just like you'? Why can't I go to Graven?" I ask.

What is going on?

"I'm confused." she says.

"I'm confused!"

"You're not a- a muggle, are you?" she asks.

"Of course I'm not!" I exclaim. "What the heck is a muggle anyway?"

"Oh no! Merlin's beard, what have I done?" she cries.

"Luna...?"

"No!" she says. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry but I'm not sure if you should be here."

"What are you talking about?" I ask but she's not listening.

She's jumped down from the tree and is pacing. I climb down after her but she's lost in thought, mumbling to herself. "...there's too much she could find out and then... Oh no... The Statue of Secrecy... Fudge! Azkaban! I don't want to go! But I did nothing g wrong! I don't think. I didn't break that law quite yet. I just thought..."

"Luna?" I ask but she doesn't stop mumbling. "Please, Luna, you're scaring me."

Luna stops pacing. She looks at me, studies my face. "Can you see my house?"

"What? Err, well not from here no-"

"I mean are you able to see my house?"

"Well yes, Luna, but why does that-"

"And last night," she continues, "the plates smashed? All of them? While you were angry?"

"Yes..."

She sighs. "Phew" and whispers something about 'George's children' and 'half-blood'

"Well I'm glad that's cleared up!" I say sarcastically.

"Sorry." Luna apologizes, "It's kind of confusing. Maybe you should talk to your mum or wait for your letter..."

"I am not talking to Mum." I say.

She shifts awkwardly from foot to foot then takes her funny glittery glasses from her pocket and hands them to me. "Put them on."

"Really?" I ask amazed. Luna is very protective of her specy specs.

"Yes. Put them on and tell me what you see."

I do as I'm told. It's hard to describe what I see - there's so much colour and it reveals so many hidden little, umm, things. Only one way to describe it: pure beautiful. "Wow!" I whisper.

"Does it look glowy?" she asks.

I nod, still mesmerized.

"And colourful?"

"Y-yes." I stammer.

"And tiny little dots. Kind of dusty and small..." she whispers. She seems almost scared.

"Yes, it's-" but I don't get to tell her what it is because she's flung herself at me. I'm shocked but I like it. It's the first time I've ever hugged a friend. Luna's warm and I can feel her pixie-like figure, small and bony, in my arms. She smells of nature and kindness and friendship; whatever that smells like.

After a long while we pull apart. Luna takes my hand in hers and grins at me. "Don't ask now. It'll all make sense soon."

I don't know whether to protest or not but if I want to be distracted from other things like Mum and Dad then right now I need Luna and her bubbly personality to keep me going.

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**Hope you liked it! Like I said before - any feedback would be great! Also if you want to be mentioned in it then PM me x **

**Might not be able to mention many but a few would be good if anyone wants. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Been a while since the last update. Another odd twist but I know you'll keep up - hope you likes x**

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**Thursday 23rd July 1992**

_I'm sorry I didn't write yesterday. I was far too busy for it. Luna was right, it would all make sense in the end and it did! I'm still confused and Mum is still being difficult about it but I think we're getting somewhere. I just don't know why she won't tell me anything - it's my life I'm asking about and my past not her's. Though that'd be useful to know something about too._

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I lie in the grass in Luna's field wearing the same clothes as yesterday, rumpled, my hair matted from sleeping in a tree and my face slightly grubby and tear-stained. I didn't sleep here all night but in the garden at my Aunt's. I was hiding in the tree house and fell asleep. Luckily it was a warm night. This morning when it was only just light I ran and ran to Luna's but stopped before I got to her garden and went to sleep for a few more hours, my letter clutched tightly in my hands. I've rescued it once from my mum and I don't want her stealing it again even if she has no idea where I am.

I've left my watch at home so I've no idea what time it is when Luna comes running towards me, her white-blonde hair streaming out behind her. She twirls around a few times before leaping and landing right next to me. Today she doesn't manage to make me smile and being her outward self she asks me why I'm sad and look disgusting.

I turn away from her. I know she's just trying to help but I don't want her to see me crying. After a while Luna warps her arms around me and I hold onto her and cry until there are no tears left to fall.

Eventually Luna can't contain herself anymore. "What's wrong?"

I take a deep breath, "Mum won't let me go" I hand her my now slightly bent letter.

She doesn't have to open it to know what it is. Luna puts it down on the grass, reaches into the overly large pocket of her sunshine yellow pinafore dress and pulls out an identical letter - just as crumpled, just as folded - and places it next to mine. She grins, her smile reaching all the way to her eyes and takes my hands in hers'.

"You are going. I promise."

"You can't promise something like that!" I protest.

"Of course I can! Why won't she let you go anyway?" Luna asks.

"She doesn't want me ending up like my Dad." I huff pulling up fistfuls of grass.

"What happened to your Dad?" she asks.

I bite my lip. My eyes sting with fresh tears as I whisper the terrible truth. "He's dead."

Luna again flings her arms around me. "It's okay; he's in a better place now. He's happy and safe - that's what Daddy says about Mum."

"Your Mum died?" I ask.

She nods.

"I'm so sorry!" I say, "I'm always going on about how annoying my Mum is while you don't even have- I'm sorry, Luna."

She shakes her head with a cheeky grin. "Don't be. Anyway, loads of kids at Hogwarts only have one parent."

"Why?"

"Because they died either in Battle of were murdered by Death Eaters. Some really great witches and wizards were killed by You-Know-Who himself!"

"Death Eaters? You-know-who?" I ask.

Luna just nods as if these are things I should know.

"Doesn't matter, does it? I'm not a Hogwarts person anyway."

"Yes you are!" she says.

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not, Luna, I don't understand! What is Hogwarts? Who is this Dumbledore man and what the heck is a bloody supreme mugwump?!" I find it hard to breathe and scared of the truth I cover my ears so I won't have to hear it.

"It's not my place to tell you all of that. You need to talk about this to your mother." she says calmly.

"No..." I whisper. "NO! I won't you can't make me. I hate her and she hates me!"

"She loves you."

"She doesn't"

"Speak to her"

"I'm not going to. There's no way on earth!" I say through gritted teeth.

"But Victoria! You need to understand!"

"Understand what?" I snap.

"Isn't it obvious? Don't you see? You're a witch!" Luna notices my expression and smiles. "Oh, don't worry it's not bad thing. You're just like me and there are loads of us."

Finally I get the "just like me" thing - ish.

"No." I say. "I'm not a 'witch'! This 'Hogwarts' is all a joke. You made it up! You and your father, the sick man! All this crap about 'nargles' and 'wraspurts' - oh, why'd I believe a word of it? I came here upset and confused just to see that it was all a joke!"

"It wasn't" she grins.

"It was! It is! You- you're a joke! You're crazy, messed up in the head! I thought I'd found a true friend in you but it was a lie!"

I stare at her and she just smiles dreamily back at me.

"What?" I ask. "Why aren't you upset with me? Angry? Bummed that I caught you out? STOP SMILING!" I yell then pick up my letter and run and run non-stop until I reach my favourite tree, the old oak I haven't sat under since I ran away on Monday and became friends with Luna. At least I thought we were friends.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Another short chapter. Shortest yet actually... Sorry guys 'm trying for long chapters but theres only so much I can write for one section without dragging on.**

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I sit in the kitchen at the table, a blanket wrapped around me and a cup of hot chocolate in my hands. Aunt Eileen sits across from me, smiling, waiting for me to explain my almost 24 hour absence. I've only been home less than an hour. I shouldn't have gone to the park. After only three minutes Zac showed himself and him and our older cousin Daniel took me home. I could've argued but there was no point; Zac was on my side and just wanted me home. As we walked in the dark he explained that everyone had been out all day looking for me. Mum had been worried sick and they'd searched multiple places but he and Daniel waited for me at the park because Zac knew that's where I'd return to eventually. He knows me too well.

My aunt is still smiling at me even though I've issued her many dismissive nods, eyebrow-raises and throat-clearings. Finally I give in.

"Alright" I say, defeated, "alright."

Aunt Eileen gives me an encouraging nod telling me to go on. "I was wrong, Mother was right. I'm an idiot, she's Queen Bee again and faithfully I shall serve her, bow to her and have her warp me into anything she likes!" I stand, drain my mug then step away from my chair as I make for the stairs. "But don't expect me to be at all gracious towards the matter."

I'm just about to start climbing the stairs when my aunt calls after me. "Tori, I don't understand! What is all this fighting and arguing even about? I thought you and your mum were friends."

"What happened? She happened. She can't accept me for who I am, who I want to be. She won't help me with my struggles, she won't listen, and she won't acknowledge my existence half the time or the fact that I need her. She lies to me! She keeps secrets and she bottles it all up so it eats from the inside out and she doesn't even care enough to prevent it! I hate her - that's what happened!" I shout. I look away from my aunt and hold onto the door frame wiping the tears from my eyes then whisper, "Goodnight, Aunty E" before creeping upstairs to my brother's room to sleep.

Its 2 am and I haven't even had a snooze. Wide awake, I lie just listening to the sound of my brother's breathing. I heard mum with a bunch of other people who'd been out searching come home half an hour after I went up. Now, two hours later, the last person has left and Mum is coming upstairs to bed. I hear her open the bedroom door then walk across the landing to Zac's room where she pokes her head around the door. I'm too slow to hide my face in my covers so she knows I'm awake.

"I know you're awake" she whispers.

"Go away!" I mumble.

She comes and sits on the edge of my bed. "I'm so sorry, Tori."

"Oh forget it! You were right, I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?" She asks.

"This school and Luna and... everything."

"No, no, honey, you were right. I've kept so much from you all these years and I'm so sorry. You're a big girl now and you have a right to know I just don't know where to start."

"The beginning?" I suggest.

"There's a lot to tell"

"We've got time."

* * *

**_Friday 24th July 1992_**

_Last night, well this morning really, Mum revealed one of her secrets she'd been keeping from me. It was shocking, too shocking for words, but it adds up. My past is quite confusing. I was forever being removed from clubs and classes and losing contact from people Mum promised we'd see again. Luna was right. I'm 'just like her'. She said I was a witch and I am and so is she and her Dad is a wizard like my Dad. Mum wouldn't go into the subject of my Dad. We'd been talking a while and it was nice when she suddenly whisked me off to bed. She tucked me in our bed where I belong and kissed me goodnight._

* * *

"Were you serious?" I ask, "When you said that I can't go to Hogwarts or see Luna ever again?"

"Of course you can go to Hogwarts - its where your father would want you to be. And as for Luna; she's a wonderful girl and I'm glad you're friends."

"I love you, Mummy."

"I love you too, honey."


End file.
